How to Use Deferred Trial Payments
What Makes Deferred Trials Different?
Traditional free trials require users to enter payment information during signup. They get instant access, yes, but many abandon the process when they see that payment form. It feels like commitment before they've experienced the value.
Deferred trials flip the script. Users sign up with just email and password—that's it. They get immediate, full access to everything in your offer. No credit card. No hesitation. No friction.
The catch? When their trial expires, access stops. They need to add payment to continue. It's that simple.
| Aspect | Traditional Trial | Deferred Trial |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Collection | During signup (card required) | After trial ends (no card needed) |
| Signup Friction | High (payment form scares people) | Low (email + password in 30 seconds) |
| Trial Signup Rate | 40-60% of visitors | 70-85% of visitors |
| Risk Level | Low (card on file) | Medium (possible trial abuse) |
| Best For | Premium offers ($200+) | Entry-level offers, lead generation |
People don't trust you yet when they first land on your page. They need to experience your expertise before committing money. Deferred trials remove the trust barrier. Once they see the value, paying becomes natural—not scary.
How It Works for Your Users
During Signup (30 seconds)
Your user clicks the offer link, enters their email and password, and clicks "Start Free Trial." No Stripe popup. No payment details. They're instantly inside, exploring everything you've built.
During Trial Period (14 days default)
They get complete access to all courses, AI assistants, events, and community features. Nothing is locked or limited. At the top of every page, a friendly banner shows how many days remain. The countdown creates gentle urgency without feeling pushy.
If they love what they see, they can upgrade early—one click to add payment and become a full member.
When Trial Expires
Access stops automatically. The banner turns red: "Trial expired - Add payment to continue." They'll see this on every page until they upgrade. It's persistent but not annoying—just a clear reminder of what they need to do to get back in.
One click takes them to payment. After completing checkout, access restores instantly, and they're redirected back to whatever page they were trying to visit.
Setting Up Deferred Trials (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Navigate to Your Offer
- Log into your Selgora Dashboard
- Go to Monetize → Offers
- Click Edit on the offer you want to add trials to (or create a new offer)
Step 2: Configure Pricing Settings
- Scroll down to the "How Much It Costs" section
- In the "Free Trial" field, enter the number of days (we recommend 14)
- Toggle on "Defer Payment Until After Trial"
When you enable this option, Selgora shows you a warning:
- Higher conversion: No payment during signup means more trials start
- Full access: Users get everything during the trial period
- Payment required: After trial expires, access is blocked until they pay
- Monitor carefully: Some users may abuse trials with multiple emails
This is normal. The benefits far outweigh the risks when you monitor your analytics.
Step 3: Save and Test
- Click Save at the bottom of the form
- Visit your offer's landing page (copy the URL from the offers list)
- Test the signup flow yourself—use a different email than your creator account
- Verify that you only see email + password fields (no Stripe payment form)
Use a personal email or create a test account to experience the full trial flow. You'll see exactly what your users see—including the countdown banner, expiration messages, and upgrade flow. This helps you understand the experience you're providing.
Monitoring Performance in Analytics
Once deferred trials are live, Selgora tracks everything automatically. Here's where to find your metrics:
- Go to Monetize → Offers
- Click the three dots next to your offer
- Select "View Analytics"
- Scroll to the "Trial Conversion Funnel" section
Trials Started
Total number of users who signed up for a trial. This number should be significantly higher than traditional trials.
Active Trials
Users currently in their trial period with full access. Watch this number fluctuate daily.
Expired Trials
Users whose trials ended but haven't added payment yet. They're seeing the upgrade banner on every page.
Converted to Paid
Success! These users added payment and became paying customers. This is your conversion metric.
Abandoned
Users who didn't pay for 30+ days after trial expiration. They're marked as permanently expired.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of trials that converted to paid. This is your north star metric for success.
What's a Good Conversion Rate?
Here's how to benchmark your performance:
- 70%+ Excellent — Your offer is highly compelling. Users see immediate value.
- 50-70% Good — Solid performance with room for optimization.
- 30-50% Average — Consider improving your trial experience or email reminders.
- Below 30% Needs Work — Rethink trial length, offer value, or pricing strategy.
Even if only 50% of trials convert, you're still getting 70-85% signup rate instead of 40-60%. That means you're converting more people overall—you're just converting them after they've experienced the value instead of before.
Best Practices for Success
DO These Things
- Set realistic trial lengths: 7-14 days for courses, 14-30 days for AI assistants, 7 days for communities. Shorter creates urgency; longer lets users explore deeply.
- Provide full access: Don't limit features during trials. Let users experience the complete value. Half-experiences lead to half-commitments.
- Monitor analytics weekly: Check your conversion rate, identify patterns, test different trial lengths. Data tells you what's working.
- Deliver value immediately: First impression matters. Make sure users can access something valuable within minutes of signing up.
- Engage during the trial: Send helpful content, tips, and reminders. Show them how to get maximum value from what you've built.
DON'T Do These Things
- Don't use for high-ticket offers: For offers $500+, traditional trials work better. At that price point, qualified buyers expect to provide payment information.
- Don't ignore fraud signals: Multiple trials from the same IP, similar email patterns (test1@, test2@), or unusually high abandoned rates deserve attention.
- Don't set trials too long: 30+ days reduces urgency. Most users decide within 2 weeks whether your content is worth paying for.
- Don't forget to follow up: Selgora sends automated reminder emails, but you can supplement with personal outreach to high-engagement users.
Understanding Automated Communications
Selgora handles email reminders automatically at critical moments:
1 Day Before Expiration
"Your trial ends tomorrow"
Gentle reminder that time is running out. Encourages users to upgrade before losing access.
At Expiration (Day 14)
"Add payment to restore access"
Clear call to action. Users who try to access content are redirected to the payment page.
3 Days After Expiration (Day 17)
"Final reminder - Last chance"
Final outreach before the trial is considered abandoned. Creates urgency without being pushy.
Currently, these emails are sent automatically with default messaging. In a future update, you'll be able to customize the email templates in Marketing → Email Templates to match your brand voice.
Fraud Prevention Built In
Selgora includes several protections to prevent trial abuse:
- Email validation: Can't signup with duplicate email addresses
- Subscription tracking: Can't have multiple active trials for the same offer
- Re-signup allowed: After 30 days of abandonment, the same email can try again (they showed enough interest to come back)
- Referrer tracking: All trials log where users came from for fraud analysis
- Access fully blocked: After expiration, no backdoors—payment is required
If you notice suspicious patterns in your analytics (high abandoned rate, many trials from the same domain, rapid-fire signups), reach out to Selgora support. We can help investigate and implement additional protections if needed.
When to Use Deferred Trials
- Entry-level offers ($0-$200): Price point where users need convincing but aren't spending a fortune
- Lead generation funnels: Free trials that upsell to premium offers
- Course libraries: Large content collections where users need time to explore value
- AI assistant access: Users need to test functionality before committing
- New creator building audience: You don't have social proof yet; let your work speak for itself
- Premium offers ($500+): Serious buyers expect to qualify themselves with payment info
- High-touch services: 1-on-1 coaching or consulting where you invest significant time per user
- Limited capacity offers: Mastermind groups or cohorts with a maximum number of seats
- Established authority: If you have strong brand recognition, people trust you enough to enter payment details
Frequently Asked Questions
Can users abuse this with multiple emails?
Technically, yes. But most users won't. People who see value will pay; people who don't see value wouldn't have paid anyway. Monitor your analytics for patterns. If abuse becomes problematic, you can disable deferred trials and switch to traditional trials.
What happens after 30 days without payment?
The trial is marked as "expired" permanently in the system. That user can sign up again if they want (maybe their circumstances changed), but the old trial won't reactivate.
Can I change trial length after people sign up?
Changes only affect new signups. Existing trials keep their original length. This protects users from surprise access loss.
Do I pay Stripe fees during the free trial?
No. Stripe fees only apply when users pay (after trial conversion). No payment = no fees. This keeps your trial period truly free.
Can users cancel during the trial?
No cancellation is needed. Users simply don't add payment, and access stops. It's zero-friction exit.
How do I disable deferred trials later?
Edit your offer, scroll to "How Much It Costs," and uncheck "Defer Payment Until After Trial." Save the changes. New signups will require payment immediately; existing trials won't be affected.
Can I offer multiple trial lengths for different offers?
Absolutely. Each offer has independent trial settings. You might use 7 days for a mini-course, 14 days for a full course library, and 30 days for comprehensive AI assistant access.
Getting Started Today
Deferred trial payments represent a philosophy shift: trust first, payment second. When you remove barriers and let your expertise speak for itself, more people start trials. And when more people experience your value, more people become paying customers.
Start with one offer. Set a 14-day trial. Enable deferred payments. Monitor your analytics weekly. Adjust based on data.
The barrier between browsers and believers is often just one payment form. Remove it, and watch what happens.
Questions about deferred trials? Check your Analytics Dashboard first—it answers most performance questions. For technical issues, email support@selgora.com or join the Selgora Creators Community where experienced creators share their trial strategies.